Fallon Scorpio

Fallon Scorpio- B4
Stacey Fox- B1
Mollie Denier- B3
Megan Rauscher-B2
Juliana Galante- B5
Sam Slezak- B6
Genital Herpes: A Hidden Epidemic

Genital Herpes: A Hidden Epidemic discussed what genital herpes is, the transmission and prevention of it, and the impact it has on a person emotionally.   Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV).   There are two types of HSV: HSV-1 is usually present on the lips in the form of cold sores where as HSV-2 is found in the genital area.   For those infected, their first outbreak can be very painful and severe or they can show no symptoms at all.   Once it infects a person it becomes dormant and its recurrence depends on the person.   Some people only have a few outbreaks in a lifetime while others have them frequently.   What people do not know is that herpes can be active without showing any symptoms, which is known as asymptomatic shedding.
Herpes is an infection spread through skin-to-skin contact or mucous membrane contact.   To prevent transmitting the virus, those infected should avoid contact from the time they feel an outbreak occurring until their lesions have healed.   There is no cure for genital herpes, but there are three different medications approved to help reduce the outbreaks.   These medications are Zovirax, Famvir, and Valtrex.   Herpes can be detected by either a viral culture or a blood test.   A viral test will not only state if herpes is present but also determine which HSV strain it is.   A blood test can help diagnose someone if no symptoms are present.   There have been three blood tests approved to give accurate results: HerpesSelect ELISA Kits, HerpeSelect Immunoblot Kit, and POCkit Rapid Test.  
For those suffering from herpes, many say that the emotional aspect regarding the infection is much worse than the physical aspect.   Many feel as if they will be socially rejected if someone finds out they are infected.   The whole key to controlling the... [continues]

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